CHENNAI
Oct. 15.
Over 38 acres of Highways department land at Guindy, here is to be transferred to the Anna University, in lieu of the area the government took over from it for constructing a new Secretariat complex at Kotturpuram.

The university has been asked to turn in to the Government also about 8.2 hectares (20.25 acres) of its land at Perungudi.

According to an order issued by the Higher Education department on Tuesday, the 38.27-acre land at Venkatapuram in Mambalam-Guindy taluk, belonging to the Highways department and the Highways Research Station, would be used by the university, as also for reconstruction of the Anna Gems School and the Madras School of Economics (whose land is being taken over for the Secretariat complex).

The land transfer is expected to benefit the university, as it gets additional space just adjacent to its existing campus. In fact, the university is planning to start a management school, a full-fledged faculty development centre as well as a placement centre to serve all affiliated colleges, according to university sources.

On September 1, orders were issued for constructing a full-fledged Secretariat complex including a Legislative Assembly hall and a big conference hall with a total floor space of about 1.2 million sqft on a 43.20-acre site. Of this, 22.16 acres was to be taken over from the university and 2.64 acres from the Madras School of Economics. The order also said alternative sites of an equal extent would be given to the university as well as the MSE in lieu of what was to be taken over from them.

On September 30, the Chief Secretary held a meeting with officials concerned and it was decided that the university transfer about 20 acres of its land at Perungudi (on the Velacheri - Tiruvanmiyur Road) to the university in lieu of the land it was to receive from the Highways department.

It was also decided that the Highways department be shifted temporarily to the land and building belonging to the Tamil Nadu Agro Industries Corporation (currently under liquidation) pending finalisation of a suitable alternative site. The Higher Education department now issued the order confirming these decisions, official sources said.